things around my house thursday

I started off at the beginning of the year using every Thursday to post about things around my house. If you need to know why I'd bother doing that, click here, scroll down.

Around week 11 it fell apart, which is a shame, because...well...I am sure I have at least 52 things around here I'd be into writing about, and since I'm doing Blog365, that means only having to deal with 313 other posts.

Anyhow, I should be on 22 of 52, rather than the measly 12 of 52. So here's the deal. I'm doubling up. Perhaps even tripling up at times. And I'm going to start this deranged little game of catch up by taking you through what hangs on my walls, and I'm going to try to do it in the order of which each piece was procured.
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Things Around My House Thursday (13 & 14 of 52)

13 of 52:

Buddhist painting on canvas from Tibet

This was given to me back in 1994 as an engagement gift (to TheEx), although it doesn't hold any emotional ties for me in that regard. I do believe it to be the piece of art in my house that I have owned the longest. For years, in my last house, it was the only art hanging on my walls (such a shame, I know). It hung over my bed, and it wasn't even framed. It was stuck to the wall with thumbtacks (such a shame, I know).

Even though I haven't always taken the best care of it, I have always loved it. Sometimes I have spent long periods just looking at it, and it brings me a sense of peace. It also was the only source of color on my walls for several years, and it in some way kept the hope alive, if ya' know what I mean.

When I moved last summer, I did a light cleaning on it to remove surface dust, and carefully stored it in a cardboard tube. A few months ago, I finally backed it with some handmade paper and framed it. Finally, it was mounted over my big ol' bathtub in the master bathroom.

I will soon be intalling a floating glass shelf underneath the picture in that empty space there, an on it I will put a candle or two and maybe some flowers.

Just in case you are curious, here's what's at the other end of the tub.

And this is interesting, now that I look at this snapshot, it is actually the larger of those two pictures that is the oldest artwork in my house. That I have had since 1990. It just hasn't hung on a wall in a long time (it's always propped up somewhere).

So much for chronological order of acquisition. I'll have to cover that one sometime, too.

14 of 52:

This piece is from my folks. My mom picked it out and gave it to me right after I returned home from Paris. I had been there on an exchange student program when I was in culinary school (a whole 'nother story, for a whole 'nother time), but let me tell you, I fell in love with Paris, and this picture really brings me to a warm and happy place full of cappuccinos and cheesy goodness.

My mom and I agree that the mat is all wrong, and the frame, too...but it was purchased that way, and I've never bothered to change it because even though it isn't a perfect fit, it hasn't driven me nuts. Yet.

It currently hangs between the kitchen and dining room over a little telephone table.